Another group slipping through the cracks?
An article in the Sydney Morning Herald today reported that the attendance of children in years 5-8 fell from 95% in year 6 to 85% in year 8. The reason for this is that the transition from primary school to high school is a difficult period which is not made easier with the number of core subjects and few electives that students are required to complete. The article stated that
schools had to be “tailored to the needs of individual students” rather than being part of an amorphous “large system of schools”.
This point is interesting especially considering the amount of funding currently going to public schools at the moment, I find it hard to believe that a school will have the resources to tailor education to an individual’s needs. While it is acknowledged that some students have learning difficulties, having compulsory traditional subjects is necessary in the early years of education so as to give students an idea of how such information is applied in everyday life. This is especially indicative in the many reports about literacy levels - has anybody noticed that correct grammar and spelling has gradually gotten worse in adults?
The SMH was the only paper to run with this story today, the others are still concentrating on the Sydney riots. It is interesting to note that they seem to have taken heed of criticism with regard to the role of the media in how they are presenting the conflict.
